Poinsettia named White Curly

ABSTRACT

A new variety of poinsettia plant of the &#34;curly&#34; type distinguished by the shape of its leaves and bracts, the yellowish white color of the bracts, and by its vigorous growth habit with little tendency to branch.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new curly poinsettia was produced at my breeding facilities atEncinitas, Calif., as a hybrid resulting from many crossings of variousseedlings or mutations including, in particular, Ecke's Flaming Sphere(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,052) which, because of its leaf shape, isresponsible for the uniqueness of this new cultivar. This particularplant was selected from many white curly seedlings of similar butdifferent types and was chosen by me as the best white of the many.

Reproduction of this plant was done under my direction at Encinitas,Calif., by means of cuttings, and successive generations of propagationof this plant have shown its novel characteristics to be fixed and tohold true from generation to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

My new poinsettia cultivar is illustrated by the accompanying full colorphotographic drawing, in which the upper view shows a potted plant inside elevation and the lower view shows the full face of each of a pairof heads in full bloom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

The following is a detailed description of this new variety ofpoinsettia plant, the color designations being stated according to TheR.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society ofLondon, England.

THE PLANT

Origin: Hybrid seedling.

Parentage: Unknown.

Classification:

Botanic.--Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Commercial.--Curly poinsettia.

Form: Shrub.

Height: Medium.

Growth habit: Vigorous, upright and with moderately stiff stems whichhave little tendency to branch. After a stem is pinched back, only twoor three branches will form.

Growth rate: Normal for poinsettias. Cuttings from this plant produceroots under greenhouse conditions similar to other poinsettias.

Foliage: Abundant.

Leaf shape.--The leaves and bracts are puckered and have an arching orcurly effect as though caused by the foreshortening of the leaf midrib.The arching effect is very severe and the curling may be described as"spiraled", the spiraling effect or curvature usually being through 180°to 340°. The shape, if laying on a flat plane, would be nearovate-acuminate with bi-lobes on each side of the midrib.

Leaf size.--Medium. 21/2 to 5 inches long, measured along the midrib,and about 4 to 6 inches wide.

Leaf petiole.--Short and heavy. Color: Upper side -- Near RHS 147A.Under side -- Near RHS 147B.

Retention.--Good, but not as long lasting as the Hegg type ofpoinsettia.

Bracts: The bracts are many in number and form a round cushion-likeappearance with a usual diameter of from 41/2 to about 51/2 inches. Tipsof the bracts form a counterclockwise swirl when looking directly intothe flowers of the plant, which are completely visible in this cultivarwhereas on Ecke's Flaming Sphere, they are difficult to see.

Size.--Bracts are usually in the range of about 2 to 31/2 inches long.

Shape.--Because of the shape of the bracts, it is difficult to describe;however, the photographic drawing best shows this feature.

Petioles.--The petioles are short and heavy and are not visible from thetop.

Color.--Upper side -- Near RHS 160C. Under side -- Nearly the same asthe upper side but the veins on the under side show a light green tinge.

Ribs and veins.--The ribs and veins are only slightly visible on top ofthe bracts but on the under side, they are of a light green tinge whichprovides a small contrast with the bract color.

Retention.--Good. The bracts last longer than the leaves.

As before mentioned, this poinsettia was produced as a hybrid bycrossings of various seedlings or mutations, including the varietyEcke's Flaming Sphere (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,052), the other seedlingsor mutations being unidentified. The unique characteristic of thiscultivar is the shape or form of the individual leaves and bracts. Inthis respect, the leaves appear that they have been shortened by pullinga drawstring inside the midrib thus causing the leaves to pucker andcurl.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinctive white curly poinsettia plant,substantially as herein shown and described, distinguished by thepuckered and severely arching effect of its leaves and bracts, and byits abundant and closely centered bracts which have an overall yellowishwhite color.